Regulation of doctors is archaic, warns council

REGULATION of doctors is “archaic, dysfunctional and legally confrontational”, the president of the Medical Council said yesterday.

Addressing a conference on competence assurance, Dr John Hillery stressed that the current system of regulating doctors was designed to fail.

He warned that the Irish medical profession was at a watershed following the Lourdes Inquiry report.

“The context has changed forever. Those doctors who do not recognise this must soon wake up or be left out of the most important debate for the profession,” he said.

He urged every doctor to read Judge Maureen Harding Clark’s report on disgraced obstetrician Dr Michael Neary.

Dr Hillery said doctors must acknowledge the damage done and the bravery of Dr Neary’s patients who testified before the council and went on to campaign for change.

He went on to point out that professions were allowed the privilege of self-regulation on the basis that they would set high standards and deal with those who fall below them.

“The basis for the medical profession maintaining that privilege in Ireland is now questionable,” he said.

“The current system is not proper self-regulation,” added Dr Hillery.